My Top 100 Singles of 1978
Here's the Spotify playlist:
1. The Cars - "Just
What I Needed"
2. Meat Loaf - "Paradise
By The Dashboard Light"
3. The Rolling Stones - "Miss You"
4. Jackson Browne - "Running On Empty"
5. Electric Light Orchestra - "Mr. Blue Sky"
6. Bill Withers - "Lovely Day"
7. The Police - "Roxanne"
8. Queen - "Fat Bottomed Girls"
9. Parliament - "Flash Light"
10. Van Halen - "Runnin' With The Devil"
11. Steely Dan - "Deacon Blues"
12. Bob Seger - "Hollywood Nights"
13. Little River Band - "Reminiscing"
14. Donna Summer - "Last Dance"
15. John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John - "You're The One That I Want"
16. Bee Gees - "Stayin' Alive"
17. Chic - "Le Freak"
18. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - "Pump It Up"
19. The Who - "Who Are You"
20. Cheap Trick - "Surrender"
21. The Police - "So Lonely"
22. Gerry Rafferty - "Baker Street"
23. Warren Zevon - "Werewolves Of London"
24. Player - "Baby Come Back"
25. George Thorogood & The Destroyers - "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer"
26. Van Halen - "Eruption/You Really Got Me"
27. Joe Walsh - "Life's Been Good"
28. Steely Dan - "FM (No Static At All)"
29. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - "Radio Radio"
30. Parliament - "Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop)"
31. Styx - "Come Sail Away"
32. Journey - "Lights"
33. The Cars - "My Best Friend's Girl"
34. Billy Joel - "My Life"
35. Teddy Pendergrass – “When Somebody Loves You Back”
36. Heatwave - "The Groove Line"
37. Bruce Springsteen - "Badlands"
38. The Only Ones - "Another Girl, Another Planet"
39. Eddie Money - "Two Tickets To Paradise"
40. Plastic Bertrand – “Ca Plane Pour Moi”
41. X-Ray Spex – “Oh Bondage Up Yours!”
42. Rick James – “Mary Jane”
43. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "I Need To Know"
44. Sylvester - "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)"
45. Chaka Khan – “I’m Every Woman”
46. Talking Heads - "Take Me To The River"
47. Kool & The Gang - "Ladies' Night"
48. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea"
49. Van Halen - "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love"
50. The Isley Brothers - "Footsteps In The Dark"
51. Jackson Browne - "The Load-Out/Stay"
52. The Police - "Can't Stand Losing You"
53. Steely Dan - "Josie"
54. AC/DC - "Whole Lotta Rosie"
55. The Trammps - "Disco Inferno"
56. Alicia Bridges - "I Love The Nightlife"
57. George Thorogood & The Destroyers - "Who Do You Love"
58. Heart - "Straight On"
59. Patti Smith Group - "Because The Night"
60. Blue Oyster Cult – “Godzilla”
61. Teddy Pendergrass – “Close The Door”
62. Billy Joel - "The Stranger"
63. Chic – “Everybody Dance”
64. Rose Royce – “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore”
65. George Jones - "Bartender's Blues"
66. Kate Bush - "Wuthering Heights"
67. Genesis - "Follow You, Follow Me"
68. Jimmy Buffett – “Cheeseburger In Paradise”
69. Toto - "Hold The Line"
70. Rod Stewart - "Hot Legs"
71. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "Listen To Her Heart"
72. Robert Palmer – “Every Kinda People”
73. Lynyrd Skynyrd - "That Smell"
74. The Rolling Stones - "Shattered"
75. Village People - "Y.M.C.A."
76. George Thorogood & The Destroyers - "Move It On Over"
77. Van Halen - "Jamie's Cryin'"
78. Earth, Wind & Fire – “Fantasy”
79. The Clash - "Tommy Gun"
80. Chic - "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)"
81. The Commodores - "Three Times A Lady"
82. Todd Rundgren - "Can We Still Be Friends?"
83. Andrew Gold – “Thank You For Being A Friend”
84. Exile – “Kiss You All Over”
85. Nicolette Larson – “Lotta Love”
86. Queen - "Bicycle Race"
87. Paul Simon - "Slip Slidin' Away"
88. Funkadelic - "One Nation Under A Groove"
89. Styx - "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)"
90. John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John - "Summer Nights"
91. Raydio - "Jack And Jill"
92. Boston - "Don't Look Back"
93. The Rolling Stones - "Beast Of Burden"
94. Randy Newman - "Short People"
95. Anne Murray – “You Needed Me”
96. Peter Gabriel - "D.I.Y."
97. Journey - "Wheel In The Sky"
98. Bruce Springsteen - "Prove It All Night"
99. Warren Zevon - "Lawyers, Guns, and Money"
100. Rod Stewart - "You're In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)"
3. The Rolling Stones - "Miss You"
4. Jackson Browne - "Running On Empty"
5. Electric Light Orchestra - "Mr. Blue Sky"
6. Bill Withers - "Lovely Day"
7. The Police - "Roxanne"
8. Queen - "Fat Bottomed Girls"
9. Parliament - "Flash Light"
10. Van Halen - "Runnin' With The Devil"
11. Steely Dan - "Deacon Blues"
12. Bob Seger - "Hollywood Nights"
13. Little River Band - "Reminiscing"
14. Donna Summer - "Last Dance"
15. John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John - "You're The One That I Want"
16. Bee Gees - "Stayin' Alive"
17. Chic - "Le Freak"
18. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - "Pump It Up"
19. The Who - "Who Are You"
20. Cheap Trick - "Surrender"
21. The Police - "So Lonely"
22. Gerry Rafferty - "Baker Street"
23. Warren Zevon - "Werewolves Of London"
24. Player - "Baby Come Back"
25. George Thorogood & The Destroyers - "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer"
26. Van Halen - "Eruption/You Really Got Me"
27. Joe Walsh - "Life's Been Good"
28. Steely Dan - "FM (No Static At All)"
29. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - "Radio Radio"
30. Parliament - "Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop)"
31. Styx - "Come Sail Away"
32. Journey - "Lights"
33. The Cars - "My Best Friend's Girl"
34. Billy Joel - "My Life"
35. Teddy Pendergrass – “When Somebody Loves You Back”
36. Heatwave - "The Groove Line"
37. Bruce Springsteen - "Badlands"
38. The Only Ones - "Another Girl, Another Planet"
39. Eddie Money - "Two Tickets To Paradise"
40. Plastic Bertrand – “Ca Plane Pour Moi”
41. X-Ray Spex – “Oh Bondage Up Yours!”
42. Rick James – “Mary Jane”
43. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "I Need To Know"
44. Sylvester - "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)"
45. Chaka Khan – “I’m Every Woman”
46. Talking Heads - "Take Me To The River"
47. Kool & The Gang - "Ladies' Night"
48. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea"
49. Van Halen - "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love"
50. The Isley Brothers - "Footsteps In The Dark"
51. Jackson Browne - "The Load-Out/Stay"
52. The Police - "Can't Stand Losing You"
53. Steely Dan - "Josie"
54. AC/DC - "Whole Lotta Rosie"
55. The Trammps - "Disco Inferno"
56. Alicia Bridges - "I Love The Nightlife"
57. George Thorogood & The Destroyers - "Who Do You Love"
58. Heart - "Straight On"
59. Patti Smith Group - "Because The Night"
60. Blue Oyster Cult – “Godzilla”
61. Teddy Pendergrass – “Close The Door”
62. Billy Joel - "The Stranger"
63. Chic – “Everybody Dance”
64. Rose Royce – “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore”
65. George Jones - "Bartender's Blues"
66. Kate Bush - "Wuthering Heights"
67. Genesis - "Follow You, Follow Me"
68. Jimmy Buffett – “Cheeseburger In Paradise”
69. Toto - "Hold The Line"
70. Rod Stewart - "Hot Legs"
71. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "Listen To Her Heart"
72. Robert Palmer – “Every Kinda People”
73. Lynyrd Skynyrd - "That Smell"
74. The Rolling Stones - "Shattered"
75. Village People - "Y.M.C.A."
76. George Thorogood & The Destroyers - "Move It On Over"
77. Van Halen - "Jamie's Cryin'"
78. Earth, Wind & Fire – “Fantasy”
79. The Clash - "Tommy Gun"
80. Chic - "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)"
81. The Commodores - "Three Times A Lady"
82. Todd Rundgren - "Can We Still Be Friends?"
83. Andrew Gold – “Thank You For Being A Friend”
84. Exile – “Kiss You All Over”
85. Nicolette Larson – “Lotta Love”
86. Queen - "Bicycle Race"
87. Paul Simon - "Slip Slidin' Away"
88. Funkadelic - "One Nation Under A Groove"
89. Styx - "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)"
90. John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John - "Summer Nights"
91. Raydio - "Jack And Jill"
92. Boston - "Don't Look Back"
93. The Rolling Stones - "Beast Of Burden"
94. Randy Newman - "Short People"
95. Anne Murray – “You Needed Me”
96. Peter Gabriel - "D.I.Y."
97. Journey - "Wheel In The Sky"
98. Bruce Springsteen - "Prove It All Night"
99. Warren Zevon - "Lawyers, Guns, and Money"
100. Rod Stewart - "You're In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)"
Rest in peace to Jimmy Buffett, "Cheeseburger In Paradise" was a good one. 1978 was probably the peak of disco, and so much of this list feels like it's either disco, post-disco (with "Miss You" being probably the best instance of a rock band engaging in disco on its own terms), or deliberate counterprogramming to disco's dominance. Speaking of the Stones, "Shattered" was always an amusing song to me, and there's a cover of it that I never get tired of: Eddie Vedder on guitar and actress Jeanne Tripplehorn delivering the lyrics in character as Julie Andrews. "Just What I Needed" was the token cover of a popular song that my high school screamo band would play, I enjoyed playing it but it kind of annoyed me that it was such a comical contrast to our original material, now I try to make music that aspires to something closer to Ric Ocasek's pop craft.
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